Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-08-16

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

The growth of online shopping will one day lead to all shops in towns and cities closing.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

 

Student answer (Band 6.0)

Online shopping has become a trend and popular among youngsters and adults, due to this reason all retail stores will shut down in towns and cities. I strongly disagree with statement as physical stores have their own relevance in people's life.

One of the major reasons is some individuals love to go at shops by themselves and buy things. This is because of trust between shopkeeper and locals regarding the quality of products and the price. As compared to shopkeepers, it is hard to build a long term relationship by a seller with the consumer. For instance, local shops that are established in an area for decades has more loyal customers than online shoppers. Therefore, number of local stores may increase with development of residential areas and they could also expand.

Additionally, the local shops are also upgrading their stores in terms of selling techniques. They have also become more advanced in securing their consumers that they have started their own websites. For instance, they have been promoting it on various platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and You Tube by the help of famous influencers. Therefore, customers can buy from these stores and if they face any inconvenience then, they can visit the nearby store and get a solution as quickly as possible.

In conclusion, undoubtedly, shops will survive in towns and cities too. A bond of trust between seller and buyer will be unbeatable compared to online shopping. There are various ways and solutions that have been undertaken by stores owners to attract local residents.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response addresses the prompt by clearly stating a position of disagreement. The ideas are relevant, focusing on the trust between shopkeepers and customers and the adaptation of local businesses to digital trends. However, the development of these ideas is somewhat limited. For instance, the argument about 'selling techniques' and 'websites' is a bit superficial and could have been expanded with more concrete examples of how this specifically prevents store closures. The response covers all parts of the task, but the depth of analysis is more consistent with a Band 6.0, as some points are slightly repetitive or under-developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is organized into clear paragraphs, each with a central theme. There is a logical progression of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. Cohesive devices such as 'One of the major reasons', 'Additionally', and 'In conclusion' are used to guide the reader. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally imprecise, such as in the second paragraph where the link between residential development and the expansion of local stores is asserted rather than clearly explained. Overall, the paragraphing is sufficient and the flow is generally smooth.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

The vocabulary is adequate for the task, allowing the writer to express their opinions clearly. There are some attempts at less common collocations, such as 'long term relationship' and 'selling techniques'. However, the range is somewhat limited, and there are minor inaccuracies in word choice, such as 'go at shops' (should be 'go to shops') and 'securing their consumers' (which is slightly unnatural in this context). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey the intended meaning without difficulty, but it lacks the precision and flexibility required for a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.0

The essay uses a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While the meaning is always clear, there are frequent errors in grammar and punctuation. Examples include subject-verb agreement issues like 'local shops... has more loyal customers' (should be 'have') and 'stores owners' (should be 'store owners'). Additionally, there are minor errors with articles and prepositions, such as 'by the help of' (should be 'with the help of'). These errors do not impede communication, but they are frequent enough to prevent the essay from reaching the Band 7 level, which requires more frequent error-free sentences.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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